Suspect in Twin Peaks Homicide to be Arraigned on Murder, Attempted Murder Charges

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The suspect in a shooting at San Francisco’s Twin Peaks lookout on Valentine’s Day that killed two people and left another with life-threatening injuries will face murder and attempted murder charges.

Richard Contreras, 26, is scheduled to be arraigned in San Francisco Superior Court Thursday afternoon on charges including two counts of murder and one count of attempted murder, according to court records.

Contreras, a Richmond resident, was arrested Monday in connection with the triple shooting, which occurred around 2 a.m. on Sunday, according to San Francisco police.

Two men identified as Santa Rosa residents Julio Peraza, 21, and Rene Mora, 19, were killed in the shooting and a third victim, an 18-year-old man, was taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries.

Contreras allegedly fled after the shooting by stealing a GMC Yukon Denali at gunpoint from another person at the scene and was arrested on suspicion of carjacking, being a felon in possession of a firearm and aggravated assault with a firearm in addition to the murder charges, according to police.

Contreras was also a suspect in a September 2014 crash in Richmond in which the driver of a stolen vehicle collided with an AC Transit bus, according to Richmond police.

That collision sent the bus slamming into a house, rupturing a gas line and causing the home to be red-tagged. Nearly a dozen people were injured in the crash including a woman and two young children inside the house.

Contreras, who was on felony probation for multiple stolen vehicle offenses and misdemeanor evading police charges at the time, fled the scene, but later pleaded guilty to joyriding, leaving the scene of an accident and probation violation charges in connection with the incident.

Sara Gaiser, Bay City News

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